Turbine housing and method for making the same

Abstract

A turbine housing is formed which comprises a plurality of housing members. The distance between mating portions of opposite side walls of one housing member is a first distance and the distance between mating portions of opposite side walls at one end of an adjacent member in the direction of fluid flow in the turbine is greater than or equal to the first distance. The distance between the mating portions of opposite side walls at the other end of the adjacent member is less than or equal to the first distance. Further, the distance from the axis of the housing to the mating portion of the circumferential wall which connects opposite side walls of the one housing member is less than or equal to the radial distance to the circumferential wall at the one end of the adjacent member and the distance to the circumferential wall at the other end of the adjacent member is less than or equal to the distance from the axis of the circumferential wall of the one housing member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A turbine housing formed from at least two mating members, said at least two mating members having mating wall portions which are positioned adjacent to each other to form the peripheral walls of said housing, wherein said mating wall portions are offset from one another such that the distance from the plane through the center of the housing and parallel to the walls of the mating members, to the first mating wall portions, in the direction of fluid flow in the turbine, is less than or equal to the distance from said plane to the second mating wall portions, in the direction of flow. 
     
     
       2. A turbine housing as set forth in claim 1 wherein the distance from the axis of the turbine housing to the first mating wall portions, in the direction of flow, is less than or equal to the distance from said axis to the second mating wall portions, in the direction of flow. 
     
     
       3. A turbine housing formed from at least two housing sections, said at least two housing sections having mating wall portions which are positioned adjacent to each other to form the peripheral walls of said housing, wherein said mating wall portions are offset from one another such that the distance from the axis of the turbine housing to the first mating wall portions, in the direction of fluid flow in the turbine, is less than or equal to the distance from said axis to the second mating wall portions in the direction of flow. 
     
     
       4. A turbine housing as set forth in any of claims 1-3 wherein the second mating wall portions are beveled with respect to the peripheral walls of the second mating member. 
     
     
       5. An air turbine housing comprising a plurality of housing members wherein the distance between mating portions of opposite side walls of one housing member is a first distance and the distance between the mating portions of opposite side walls at one end of an adjacent member, in the direction of fluid flow in the turbine, is greater than or equal to said first distance and the distance between the mating portions of opposite side walls at the other end of said adjacent member is less than or equal to said first distance. 
     
     
       6. An air turbine housing as set forth in claim 5 wherein the distance between opposite walls of said adjacent member is less than or equal to said first distance and wherein the walls are tapered outward at the one end thereof to a distance greater than or equal to said first distance. 
     
     
       7. A housing for use with a turbine comprising at least two adjacent wall members forming the turbine chamber, the wall members having a U shaped cross-section, wherein the interior surfaces of said adjacent wall members are offset with respect to one another such that the cross-sectional area of the chamber formed by the mating portion of a first of said adjacent wall members is less than or equal to the cross-sectional area of the chamber formed by the mating portion of a second of said adjacent wall members, in the direction of fluid flow in said chamber. 
     
     
       8. A turbine housing formed from at least two adjacent sections, said adjacent sections being mated to each other at mating portions thereof, a first of said adjacent section having oppossed side walls wherein the distance between said oppossed side walls is a first distance and wherein the opposed side walls at the mating portion of said first section at one end thereof is beveled such that the distance between the oppossed side walls at the beveled portion thereof is a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, and wherein the distance between oppossed side walls of the other of said adjacent sections is a third distance which is greater than said first distance and less than said second distance. 
     
     
       9. A turbine housing as set forth in claim 8 wherein said adjacent sections have curved walls formed between said opposed walls and wherein the radius of the curved wall of the first section is a first radius and the curved wall at the mating portion at one end of said first section is beveled such that the radius is a second radius which is greater than the first radius, and wherein the radius of the curved wall of the other of said adjacent sections is a third radius which is greater than said first radius and less than said second radius. 
     
     
       10. A turbine housing formed from at least two adjacent sections, said adjacent sections being mated to each other at mating portions thereof, a first of said adjacent sections having oppossed side walls and a first curved wall therebetween and a second of said adjacent sections having oppossed side walls and a second curved wall therebetween, wherein the radius of the first curved wall is a first radius and the radius of the second curved wall is a second radius wherein the second radius is greater than the first radius, and wherein the first curved wall is tapered outward at one mating portion thereof such that the radius at said mating portion is a third radius, said third radius being greater than said second radius. 
     
     
       11. A method of forming a turbine housing to reduce turbulence therein comprising forming a first housing member having a predetermined distance between opposite walls thereof; forming a second housing member wherein the distance between opposite walls at one end thereof is greater than the predetermined distance and the distance between opposite walls at the other end thereof is less than the predetermined distance; fixing said first and second members together with the first end of said second member being adjacent to the first member wherein the flow path through said housing is in a direction from said first member into the second member through the first end thereof. 
     
     
       12. A method as set forth in claim 11 including forming a curved wall between said opposite walls of said first and second members wherein the radius of the curved wall at the one end of said second member is greater than the radius of the curved wall of the first member. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein the radius of the curved wall at the other end of the second member is less than the radius of the curved wall of the first member. 
     
     
       14. The method of any of claims 11-13 including first forming said second member with the distance between opposite walls less than the predetermined distance and then beveling said opposite walls at the one end thereof. 
     
     
       15. A method as set forth in claim 14 including first forming said curved wall of said second member with a radius less than the radius of the curved wall of the first member and then beveling said curved wall at the one end thereof.